Games of various sorts, and particularly wagering and betting games, have been a popular pastime for people since the beginning of recorded history. More recently, gambling has become an organized activity, with casinos and various games being developed in various locations where such activities are legal. Even more recently, numerous state governments have seen that such wagering games may be used as a form of "voluntary taxation," in which players pay money to the state in return for some chance of winning a larger return.
Generally, such games award the overwhelming majority of the payoff to a single individual, and rely upon a drawing or the like to determine a single winning number. While further drawings may be made for secondary or lower payoffs, each payoff is randomly determined, rather than being predetermined according to any numerical ranking of the numbers provided to the players.
Also, generally players are allowed to choose a specific number(s) for such games, rather than being provided a random number(s) for play of the game. While such may seem advantageous to some less knowledgeable players who have a "favorite number" or "system" which requires the selection of a certain number(s), a truly random drawing will randomize any results to the point that the selection of specific numbers will make no difference. Such random drawings, in which a perhaps considerable delay occurs between the time of a lottery ticket purchase and the determination of the winning number(s), is not effective in reinforcing the participation of players.
On the other hand, provision of random numbers to the players initially, offers the advantage of a game in which the winning number(s) is/are preselected, according to numerical or some other order. Thus, a player who understands the hierarchy of the numbers, will know instantly whether he/she has a winning number, or at least a good chance of winning, as soon as the number is issued to the player.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for such a lottery game in which numbers are randomly provided to players, but in which the winning numbers are predetermined at least to some extent, in accordance with numerical or some other order. Additional payoffs to more than a single player may be provided, in accordance with a pyramidal structure for the arrangement of the numbers used in the game. Payoffs of different amounts may be provided, according to the rank or level of the numbers in the pyramid structure, thus enabling a player to have at least some idea whether his/her number may be a winner, immediately upon receiving that number. Alternatively, the numerical hierarchy may be randomized if desired.